Dental words, made clearer.
A plain-language glossary to help you follow the conversation at your next appointment.
- Abutment
- The connector between an implant and the crown or other restoration it supports.
- Bone graft
- Material placed to help build or support bone in a planned treatment area. Suitability and healing vary.
- CBCT
- Cone beam computed tomography: three-dimensional imaging used when appropriate for diagnosis and planning. Imaging is referral-based. Images are captured quickly; the facility and/or a radiologist prepares and sends them to the referring dentist, which can take some time.
- Crown
- The visible tooth-shaped restoration. An implant crown is attached to an implant through a connector.
- Dental arch
- The curved row of teeth in one jaw: upper or lower.
- Full-arch restoration
- Replacement teeth spanning one upper or lower arch. Ask whether the proposed design is fixed or removable.
- Immediate loading
- Attaching temporary teeth that take biting forces soon after implant placement, only in selected cases depending on bone, implant stability, and health. Final teeth follow healing. See Esposito 2013 in the healing guide references.
- Implant
- A post placed in bone to support replacement teeth. It is different from the crown, bridge, or denture attached to it.
- Implant-retained overdenture
- A removable denture that connects to implants for retention. The wearer removes it for cleaning.
- Osseointegration
- The process by which bone establishes a connection with an implant surface during healing.
- Peri-implantitis
- Inflammation around an implant associated with loss of supporting bone. It needs professional assessment.
- Peri-implant mucositis
- Inflammation of the soft tissues around an implant, without the progressive supporting bone loss characteristic of peri-implantitis.
- Prosthesis / restoration
- An artificial replacement such as a crown, bridge, or denture.
- Survival rate
- The proportion of implants remaining in place over a stated follow-up period. It is not the same as being complication-free.
For more context, see how implants work and risks and complications. Definitions are educational summaries; discuss their meaning for your treatment with your dentist.